August 28, 2011

Is sin dead? To the Christian, that is a really silly question. How can sin be dead when we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God? (Romans 3:23). But, from what we see in the world, there are a lot of people who don’t seem concerned about their sinful behavior. If you don’t believe there is a God, there can’t be sin since sin is defined as transgression of God’s law? (Romans 4:15, 1 John 3:4). However, even many atheists live by a moral code, just not one defined in terms a allegiance to the living God. Albert Einstein said, “It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it. A man’s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.” As much as we may admire Einstein for his dramatic development of the theory of relativity and the role it played in our understanding of the physical world we live in, from a Christian’s perspective, he is well described by David who said of all such men, “The fool has said there is no God.” (Psalms 14:1)

Paul wrote to the Romans, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:20-21) There are many in this world who have let science become their god and ignored the evidence for God that is before their very eyes.

There are things that science cannot prove or disprove. “After all, any real knowledge of origins or of earth history antecedent to human historical records can only be obtained through divine revelation. Since historical geology, unlike other sciences, cannot deal with currently observable and reproducible events, it is manifestly impossible ever really to prove, by the scientific method, any hypothesis relating to pre-human history.” (The Genesis Flood by John C. Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris) To claim otherwise requires scientists to fall back on the theory of evolution and uniformitarian interpretation. They must claim that all things, including the laws of physics, have not changed since the moment the worlds were formed.

Even in Peter’s day there were those who claimed that all things remained uniform, i.e. nothing has changed since the beginning. Peter said of them, “ … knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7)

What has remained the same almost from the beginning of man? The presence of sin. Sin is not dead. It cannot be ignored, discredited, or explained away. It is man’s problem. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14) The pride of life keeps many from acknowledging that there may be a higher power that is in control of all things, a power that created the heavens and the earth, a living God that has placed his law in our hearts (Hebrews 10:16) for our own good.

Sin is a good teacher although it would be best for us if we didn’t learn that the hard way. All sin has consequences. Some of those consequences are experienced in this lifetime. Others are eternal. Who can look at the world we live in and not understand the consequences of sin in the here and now? Corruption in our government costs us untold millions of hard earned dollars that taxpayers send off to Washington and state capitals. Our prisons are overcrowded with felons who steal and murder leaving devastation in their wake. Broken homes are caused by those who abuse their spouses or seek sexual gratification outside the marriage. Children in single mother homes are more likely to run into trouble with the law or become drug users and abusers.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. For every temptation we know there is a way to resist (1 Corinthinans 10:13) and forgiveness if we don’t. (2 Peter 3:9) — Amen.